This little one keeps us on our toes

Into EVERYTHING

Super curious

If she's in the house and it's quiet run to where she is 

inevitably she will be into something

Good thing she's a cutie, a mischievous cutie but still a cutie

Baskets of Fun

A few weekends ago Sam's basketball team hosted a tournament

Three other teams from around Brasil came into town for the event

There are not many teams in the area for the girls to play against

so this was a good chance for them to work on their skills, playing together and competition

Enjoying a lunch out with my girlies after the games

During the weekend we were able to host girls from the other teams

We added 5 additional girls to our house

They were a wonderful addition

It's always a joy to see smart, caring, understanding teens doing their best

Sam and some of her teammates

Jo passing time on the stairwell

The team posing for a picture

They took third place out of four teams

It was a tough weekend for the girls but they are doing so much better 

This team is fairly young so next year should be even better!

Project 101

We are SLOWLY turning our house into our home

It's a process

one that involves furniture supplied by the Embassy

let's say its not really my style and

a very, very modern styled home which again is not my style

But it's hard to complain to much when the rent is paid for and we can use that money to travel

This past weekend Aubrey and I worked together to cover her

Drexel style headboard and turn it into something that fits her style 

For a do it yourself project she was happy with the results

Biker Chick

One of the very best parts of living in Brasil is the weather

It can't be beat

except this week when we've had rain almost everyday...but it's needed

Typically I can get out on my bike 2-3 times a week, every week

without having to wear warm socks, jacket, long pants, etc

it's the best for this sun loving girl

Jaguar Sanctuary

One of Jo's bucket list items before we even moved here was to visit the Jaguar Sanctuary

It's about an hour from our home

When we first arrived we were disappointed to find out that it had been closed

Fast forward to almost 1 year later...

a friend of a friend had made a Brazilian connection and was arranging private tours of the sanctuary

J was on cloud nine when I told her we would be able to go and visit the "cats"

Many Brazilians, especially farmers hate Jaguars

There is a back and forth between the government, farmers and activists

The hope is to rehabilitate these cats to return to the wild

Unfortunately with all the red tape that has to be cut through it doesn't look promising

We were impressed with how well the cats are cared for

They were all alert, tracking Gwen and very aware of their surroundings

The trickiest part of the day was keeping these Scooby snacks away from the gates

Lunch time!